Allotments 4 All

Hi

We've been thinking about moving & have seen a house with a huge pine tree in the front garden. It's a lovely tree, but in the wrong place & needs to go. Apparently there's no TPO on it but I remember being told by an old boy down the allotment that you can't kill trees above a certain size without contacting someone or other... Anyone know anything about this?

Ta,

Ollie

I think it's more to do with health and safety (ie your duty of care to your neighbours) that you get a qualified contractor to do it.....

See here Ollie, but if I understand it right there's nothing to stop you cutting down the tree if it doesn't have a TPO, although if it was really, really big there is a forestry commission licence you need to fell more than a certain volume of timber.  Trees can also be protected as part of a planning consent, but in actual fact you're allowed to cut thr trees down as long as you do it before you start the development allowed by the planning permission because cutting a tree down is not development in itself.

Tell the sellers you would like to buy the place, but only if they get rid of the tree. Check the drains as roots can be a problem.

If it is near to the road  traffic may have to be stopped.  Gets VERY expensive.

If its a Pine Tree you should be able to get a grant to kill the thing  ;D

We had two 40 foot conifers felled, they scaled the trees and then cut them from the top in 6 foot sections, took them no time at all.  As a guide they did those plus took 10 feet off the tops of another 8 conifers for around £600.

If it hasnt got a TPO then chop away.

Thanks all. It is quite near a drain cover now you mention it ACE... probably worth getting someone to stick a camera down there if we were to go ahead. I think it's too tall for me to cut down so thanks for the heads up on cost of tree removal specialists. The estate agent reckons that older trees send their roots straight down so nothing to worry about!

The previous occupants are with Jesus now so negotiations are with the executors & apparently they have a fixed amount they expect. It's probably too much work for the money unless 30 year old air heating, avocado bathrooms and original orange coloured 70's formica tops are your thing.

I thought 70's retro was back in, you could start a new fashion for coloured bathroom suites ;D
We bought a house last september with huge trees, got the solictors to check no TPO and them cut them down. In all we had 8 25 foot + conifers in the front taken down, same in the back plus one 40 foot pine tree. Garden looks abit bare now :)

QuoteGarden looks abit bare now

but at least you get some light...  :)

Conifers can be considered justifiable arboricide.

I nearly didn't bother going to view the place I bought cos I could see a row of massive leylandii's all down the south border of the garden on Google Earth.... decided that it looked like they were "my" side and went and looked... by the time I got there they had been seriously topped (professionally) and I finished the work last summer.... they are no more than a dumpy bag of shreddings and the space is earmarked for asparagus....

chrisc

Quote from: chriscross1966 on March 10, 2011, 12:36:49
I nearly didn't bother going to view the place I bought cos I could see a row of massive leylandii's all down the south border of the garden on Google Earth.... decided that it looked like they were "my" side and went and looked... by the time I got there they had been seriously topped (professionally) and I finished the work last summer.... they are no more than a dumpy bag of shreddings and the space is earmarked for asparagus....

chrisc

What did you do about the roots Chris? I'm thinking of chopping down a conifer in the garden, but would like to put something in it's place. (small not a conifer)

The advice I got (and I think this is terrible and would not do it)

Cut it down when no one is looking. Then go and report to the police that some one has cut it down and ask what you should do. (ask for a crime number too).

That way you have got rid of it and if any one complains you can say it was vandalism.

Very dishonest and I would not dream of doing it.

Phone the council to check about a TPO. If the answer is no fire the chainsaw up and cut it down immediately. Thats what the progfessionals do. It is amazing just how quickly the council can get a TPO even if they can't sort out a real problem in any reasonable time. Too late if it's already logs ;)